Lamy Safari Review

This pen is one of the greatest starter, beginner pens; it is recognized by everyone in the fountain pen community. With a retail price of $35 (or approximately $23 on the internet), it’s still a lot cheaper than most fountain pens.  However, it is still expensive and is something to consider since the pen does not come with a cartridge converter (you would also have to buy their proprietary cartridge-converter too).
Here are some facts:

• Postable: Yes
• Nib Material: Steel
• Cap: Snap Off
• Body Material: ABS plastic
• Cartridge Converter Ink Capacity≈ .8mL

To start off, the design of the pen is fantastic. It’s a sturdy, modern looking, and attractive. I bought my pen with a matte black finish with a black nib and clip. It is one of my favorite pens based off appearance. The clip is also very sturdy and modern-looking (which I really enjoy). Its snap cap makes it a breeze to start writing write away (pun intended). However, there are some flaws in the design of the pen. First of all, the pen only accepts its proprietary cartridges (limiting your choice of ink color) and proprietary cartridge converter. Although I didn’t mind spending an extra $5 for the converter, this might deter some from buying the pen. Another problem with the pen is the grip section. The grip has two rivets on which the user can put their fingers to stabilize the pen. Although I don’t find this annoying (if anything, more comfortable), many people who put their fingers on the grip at an angle might find this pen extremely uncomfortable to use.

The pen comes with a steel nib in a range of nib options (from extra-fines to italic). I decided to go with the black plated nib in the Fine size. The pen writes wonderfully. It lays down a wide, wet line of ink with each stroke. It never skips or has a rough start and this contributes to the smooth and easy writing experience of the Lamy Safari. It’s a solid, reliable pen that you can expect to get the job done. However, the fine nib writes a little too wet and wide for my taste (especially on cheap paper) which makes my handwriting a lot harder to read, if not illegible. But the extra-fine nib might help with that.

Black ink on Clairefontaine 90g French-Ruled paper Lamy Safari Fine Nib

Overall, this pen is a workhorse. It provides a comfortable writing experience for pages on end. The design and ink flow are my personal favorites about this pen, however, I wish the nibs were a little finer. I would recommend this pen as a first time pen to any fountain pen enthusiast for its ease of use and smooth writing.

Pilot Metropolitan Review

For a pen in this price range, I was pleasantly surprised.

The Pilot Metropolitan is a great low-price, beginners fountain pen charging your wallet only $15. Before we dive into the smoothness of the nib or the solid construction of the pen, let’s get to the facts. The Metropolitan is available in three different colors (black, silver, and gold) alongside different trim options for each pen (leopard, zig-zag, dots, etc) and in a fine or medium steel nib. It comes with a black cartridge as well as a squeeze type cartridge converter.

The first thing noticeable about the Metropolitan is the weight of the pen. The barrel is made out of brass (not common among pens in this price range). The pen is not only hefty but also very well balanced. It gives you the feeling of using a much more expensive pen which I loved.

The nib is about as smooth as steel nibs could be. I purchased my Metropolitan in a fine nib and this is what really stands out about this pen.  I expected the nib to be scratchy but the pen performed perfectly on my Clairefontaine 90g French-Ruled Notebook. The nib glides across the paper without any feedback.

However, a pen always has its flaws. For the Metropolitan, something that bugged me during writing is the cap when posted. The cap has a tendency to fall off of the pen when posted which can be frustrating especially if I pick up the pen when the cap is loose (having the cap fly off and roll somewhere far away on the floor is never fun).

It’s also worth mentioning that the nib is a little scratchy on very cheap paper. However, I expected this and it’s nothing unusual for a nib this fine.

To sum it up, this pen would be a great starter beginner pen. It would be perfect for people new to the fountain pen world. For the low price of the product that gets you started right out of the box (cartridge and a cartridge converter), the pen looks and feels like a quality product. However, the limited choice between nib sizes (fine and medium) might deter some experienced pen users, beginners should start with those two sizes anyway.

-90g Clairefontaine French-Ruled Paper
-Pilot Metropolitan Fine Nib
-Noodler’s Gruene Cactus Eel